Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The Watering Hole: Tuesday June 14th – Basta!

“Basta!” means “Enough!” in Italian. And basta the Italians said yesterday. In four referendi they dealt a huge blow to Italian Prime Minster Silvio Berlusconi. They said: “Enough!” To the privatization of their water supply. “Enough!” to the guaranteed profits of same privatization. “Enough!” to the plans to build new nuclear power plants. And, finally: “Enough!” to the tailor made legislation, that was meant to let Berlusconi off the hook in his legal troubles. They even managed to get over the quorum of minimum 50% of voters (57%) even though the government had picked a bank holiday weekend for the vote and tried to discourage the people from voting. You can find two excellent background articles on Berlusconi’s Italy here and here.

The video begins with Bernanke saying he is 100% confident of his ability to control the income disparity in the U.S. — the largest of any industrialized country in the world — on 60 Minutes.

Then it says:
“Democrats have failed us, Republicans have failed us… It is time for us to stand up for ourselves… We must fight back against the organized criminal class… We must launch “operation Empire State rebellion. The operation will commence on June 14th…Operation Empire State Rebellion Engaged.”

Control, as in maintain, the current income disparity. I’m pretty sure he can do so.

June 14th. Today’s me sainted mum’s 103rd birthday. Over the years, she always liked to tell about the time when she was five or six, when she noticed flags flying everywhere and asked her mother why that was. “Because it’s your birthday, Margie!” was the answer.

Makes more sense to me today than any other proposed reason ever has! ;)

Heh…
Every time I check in here now is like trying to find my way through the woods..
Nice format, someone has been hard at work…
Not that I’ve been slacking off, aside from grubbing 3 miles of new trail across a drought stricken mesa, I found out yesterday from a ridgetop that the house closing is tomorrow at 2:00, and all my stuff has to be out by then.
I’ll check in between loads to my new pad…

When will Americans stand up….? As long as we continue to be distracted with our Ipods, Iphones, Playstations, blogging and as long as we continue to be a divided nation, probably never. However I’m sure at some point people will start to rebel. I imagine the patriots on the right will use violence against politicians and other citizens, but of course this will just allow our government to pass a law like “The Violent Radicalization Of Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act”.

You are wise beyond your years, IP. Sadly, I am one of those “driven to distraction”, so much so that today, while I could potentially be making a difference in the world, I will be “on the horn” with Verizon and hopefully resolving my tech issues on the droid side. This, followed by an afternoon smattering of heading to the public library to use a printer for another project (don’t even get me started on this one!) and going to sell bonbons for a few hours and PRESTO!! I should be back to my old spunky self … ;)

Thanks for the compliment Lass! Wise? Nah…just see the reality of what is happening in this country and the world just like everyone else here. We are all guilty of being distracted. Life can be a distraction.

It makes it much harder for the average citizen to become an activist when they are trying to keep a roof over their family’s head. This is where the corporate overlords have us. Who has the time these days?

I know I should be doing so much more in regard to standing up and speaking out but I don’t. Where to start? So many of my friends aren’t even aware of what is going on, some see it but they have the attitude “What can I do about it?”, others just don’t care as long as they have their games, their music, their cars, a roof over their head and are making money.

One thing is for certain though, we will never see the wealthy elitists rebel. ;)

It starts with sharing what we know with our friends, and encouraging one another when we need to. And some will remain asleep … and some will wake up … and share with their friends … and so on … and so on … **insert 70’s organic shampoo commercial here** ;)

Truly, we do what we can, when we can and try our best not get overwhelmed with it all …

I decided to start by responding to Letters to the Editor in the local papers. Our local town paper is apparently so desperate for content that they printed my first letter in the next issue after I submitted it. (I’m going to try to re-vamp it slightly and turn it into a post here.)

I realize that local newspapers don’t always reach a lot of people, but if those people are only reading stupid conservative opinion articles, they’ll never know any difference. So I’m aiming at refuting those stupid conservative opinion articles. You’ve gotta start somewhere!

The last time Americans genuinely stood up and shouted NO MAS was in the late sixties, during the American-imposed atrocity often referred to as “The Nam”. The slogan, “Hell no I won’t go” got legs, and within a quite short span of time, general conscription — the Draft — was radically changed and a lottery system based on random birth date ordering was laid over top. Then, a few years later, the Draft was put to sleep that soundest time in favor of an “all volunteer’ Army.

Today, I would heartily support the reimposition of conscription — universal, this time, not gender specific — for one solid reason: it would open eyes and cause a lot of general screaming. And who know but what maybe, just maybe, the screaming would be applied to across-the-board issues, expressly including virtually the entire Republican political agenda: anti-union, anti working people and middle class, anti woman, anti health care, anti Social Security, anti Constitution, anti education, pro war, pro business, pro rich, pro segregation, and proto-fascism collective agenda.

I fear the only way to get money out of politics is to only vote for those candidates who agree to accept money only from individuals.
Good luck finding them.
I’ve always thought that after I retire, I’d like to run for the state assembly on exactly that platform. No corporate money. period.

Where are the Chicago 7 types when we need them? Where are new leaders like MLK, Howard Zinn, Malcom X? What happened to the war protests? The people of this nation should of hit the streets in masses after the bank and Wall Street executives nearly destroyed our economy and were then bailed out and given slaps on the wrist.

If we didn’t hit the streets then, when? Our corporate overlords play us all like a violin. They use MSNBC and Fox to keep us from ever uniting together to stand up against them. What is it going to take for we the people to say “enough”? 20% unemployment? Another war or two? Another stolen presidential election? More income disparity? A food shortage or food that becomes to expensive for the average citizen to buy?

Now if they canceled “Dancing With The Stars” or “American Idol”….then we might have an uprising…. ;)

The sheeple will eat what they are fed … we need to change their feed. We need to share the feed we have here at the Zoo with as many as are hungry. Whenever and wherever … change the feed/change the sheeple … change the sheeple/change the world …

I recall a scene from the great movie “The Grapes Of Wrath” where the bulldozer is coming through the fields to demolish a farmers home. The driver of the bulldozer is a former farmer and neighbor of the family whose home he is about to demolish. I remember his response when the farmer asks him “how he could do this to his own?”….and the driver replied “I have to feed my family.”

There it is….Desperate times will make people do desperate things even against their own friends and neighbors. With the increase in greed and selfishness in this country I imagine the scene above all over the country if we slip into a depression.

Meanwhile…http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20070981-503543.html
All in neatly packaged 100 dollar bills….“The money in question was literally air-lifted into Iraq by the George W. Bush administration, which flew it into Baghdad aboard C-130 military cargo planes. Bush White House officials were worried in the immediate aftermath of Saddam’s fall that Iraqis would revolt if salaries weren’t paid and services deteriorated. In total, the Times says $12 billion in cash was flown into Iraq in 21 separate C-130 flights by May 2004.”

The is a “Tanya Two Thumb Typo” … “my phone sitch” does in fact refer to the situation with my phone/droid, as you suspected, frugal. Entering library now to use internet computer as my Ipad is unable to perform the functions necessary to resolve the “sitch” … I’ll let ya know how it goes ;)

The BBC’s Panorama aired this report in 2008. The calculated that $23 billion was unaccounted-for, using open source material..
Brtiain’s Channel 4 and the Guardian also made a documentary investigation.
CBS 60 minutes investigated as well—they talked about $8.8 billion. referencing Bowen’s report.

To the best of my knowledge, fuck all has been done about it. Lieberman notably didn’t initiate a single investigation into anything Iraq, despite it being his purview.

Added to the files of “While you were staring at Wiener’s wiener…. this shit went down”

Obama met with the Crown prince of Bahrain . Yes the Bahrain that arrested and tortured Doctors and nurses from a hospital that was treating protestors who were shot by the Bahraini police and Saudi Arabian army…. That Bahrain. Wonder why he felt the need to keep it quiet?

I made several trips to Bahrain between 78 and 82 visiting my parents there. (They had lived in Bahrain before sometime in the early fifties, when the international airport terminal was a tent. My mother babysat the future ruler a couple of times and changed his diapers).

My father was the General Manager of Bahrain Airport Services which operated the whole airport. He had a co-manager who was a cousin of the ruler. The man knew nothing about the business but my father who have to ‘consult’ with him so he could make a show of deliberating whatever action my father planned to take, and then always agree with it.

Compared to other Arab nations,and especially to its neighbor, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain appeared to be very progressive. There was universal free education. The schoolgirls I;d see all over Manama would wear typical western school uniforms. Some women dressed traditionally in the all black abayas but the most socially mobile dressed in western clothes, drove their own cars, owned their own businesses and had a reasonable presence in the bureaucracy.

Local ‘Bars’ were strictly juice bars—very refreshing—but foreigners could by alcohol no problem. There were social clubs where the local well to do men would order a pot of tea of exotic varieties—Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal usually..

There were night clubs which the young wealthy Bahraini men would frequent to try and pick up the western stewardesses etc.

At the south of the main Island there was the ‘Royal Beach’ reserved for the ruler, his male family members and female westerners who were allowed to exercise their native custom of topless sunbathing. if they wished.

I of course had a pretty grand time as my father was well paid and by circumstance and necessity, well-connected (he had 20 years of experience with the ME in general) .

But I did notice the imported South-East Asian labor teams that were shutlled through the airport—they all looked tired and miserable and in their identical corporate logo-ed jumpsuits they resembled prisoners–which they effectively were of course.

My father had a gorgeous young South Indian Secretary whom I couldn’t help but instantly desire though I was too respectful of her situation to make any overtures. She clearly explained to me when we went out to a club that the Indians and Indonesians who made up the labor forces were basically ‘niggers’ in the typical Bahraini’s estimation.
She of course had a tough time, being beautiful, Indian, female, intelligent and westernized. This was amply demonstrated when a large Bahraini stud approached us, ignored me and demanded her attention. I told him he was being rude, he retorted “is she your wife?”, I dais “no” and he then aggressively posited that she was fair game. I told him to back-off but Loella expressed her displeasure too at the same time. I dropped the name of my father’s pretend co-manager and he backed off. Loella might have felt a little more secure in my company than otherwise, but had it come to a punch-up, he had the height, the reach and the mass advantage. I would not have done very well.

On my last visit it was announced that there would be a causeway built between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. My father said at the time that the physical link would only increase Saudi influence there , that Saudis would begin treating the place as a province rather than the disconnected vacation spot where they could get boozed up and score with western women or molest the Asian women who had no rights there.

What in the world is the purpose of this media obsession with Anthony Weiner? I just finished trying to watch MSNBC’s last evening four shows, (Hardball, Lawrence, Rachel, and Ed) and every one of them did segments on Weiner’s Wiener. I mean, really: who f’ing cares? The ONLY tidbit that caught my attention was when Ed showed Rush suggesting that Weiner’s fall from grace was due to the influence of “Liberal women.” Liberal women such as the two he named: Debbie Wassermann Schultz and Nancy Pelosi (who are probably Limbaugh’s only non-viagra up-getters. In your dreams, Limpy, only in your dreams).

Anyway, this country’s obsession with sex is, without doubt, one of the most patently ridiculous national obsessions in the history of the human species. Enough already.

Maybe it’s time to subscribe to Naked News — I can’t imagine them wasting a lot of time on any Weiner (sotospeak) non-story.

Newt Gingrich said this about twenty minutes into the debate last night.

This campaign can not be only about the presidency. We need to pick up at least twelve seats in the US Senate and thirty or forty more seats in the House, because if you are serious about repealing Obamacare, you have to be serious about building a big enough majority in the legislative branch, that you could actually, in the first ninety days, pass the legislation. It’s very important to understand, it’s not about what one person in America does, it’s about what the American people do, and that requires a Senate majority as well as a presidency.

See, in order to achieve an agenda in DC, Newt acknowledges it takes control of the Executive and Legislative branches, yet, as was repeated ad infinitum last night, the economy ‘is all Obama’s fault’.

A lot of times I can’t see any number of comments there…but, I need a better resolution setting. Any sites that have a light colored font or boxes or etc., can hardly be seen on my screen…and what do I do about it…nada.

In the general election, I think Huntsman is someone who could appeal to independents and Blue Dogs.

But, he’s way too moderate to get through the Republican primary, imo. And I don’t even think he’d be a viable VP choice; as too many of his positions would be almost the opposite of the top of the ticket.

Another Fox viewer poll. (Unscientific – as it should be for Fox.) While I expected the results to be all over the place at this stage, I was a bit surprised by the current front-runner: Herman Cain. Granted, this isn’t who would you like to see as president; but who would you like to see debate Obama.

Which Republican presidential hopeful or would-be candidate would you most like to see debate President Obama?

Batscat Bachmann, doubtless caught by a law she didn’t know about, will not be running for reelection to Congress at least as long as she is still running for president. Even if she drops the presidential campaign and decided on reelection she should say enough outrageous things in front of a national audience to put her current seat out of reach. My fellow Minnesotans and I might finally get a respite from answering the question “what’s wrong with you people” whenever she pops up. I’m very tempted to have a celebratory beer with lunch.

We live in Colorado where it’s illegal to collect rainwater. First time I heard that was from the lady in the wine shop across the street who asked me what those barrels were (well, actually, garbage cans) in the flower beds were for, the ones conveniently located under the downspout from the roof gutter setup. I told her we were collecting rainwater to use to water houseplants, help save resources, etc. She said it was illegal, that one of her neighbors had been given a citation by the rain barrel police for doing just that, and that the fine was stiff.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. I said some naughty words (she didn’t care, I buy a lot of wine there); in fact, she laughed. We still have the barrels out there and are collecting water even as I write this, thanks to the brief shower that just passed overhead.

I was raised in MN where everyone I knew had a cistern. At our house, we used ‘city water’ for drinking only, and it came out of a separate ane well-marked tap. The rest came from the cistern that was underneath the floor of the garage. Nice, soft, rain water and snow melt. No one was arrested for stealing from the government.

I heard today that energy prices will go up again later in summer. There’s a bad situation coming when you add up inflation here (forget the official numbers, anyone in real life knows the difference), the inflation and problems in China, a major slowdown in Japan and the EU is a basket-case with one country after another in debt trouble. Oh and then, revolution breaking out over the ME.

There’s a couple of very mangy and smelly ones that hang out behind the garbage truck at the work station sweetie, come quick if you want to tie bows around their putrid little necks and put them in a basket.

Damn…I think I’ll join up with E-Harmony pronto and hook up with this looney tune, all it would take is a bottle of Jack, ear plugs, “two” condoms, and a kitten…and a pillow to smother her with afterwards…

Sorry gals, I don’t want to come across as a misogynist, but I couldn’t resist the last part. ;) Seriously I’m read to shove a red hot iron rod through my left ear and out my right ear…the voice….yikes!

I wonder what the odds are that:

1-She has breast implants
2-And a tattoo of a cat somewhere on her body

Compared with what I’m seeing of the Republican contingent waiting in the wings, I’m starting to think we may well have ‘misoverestimated’ both the abject stupidity and genuine overall crapiness of Bush 43. Had he been on that stage with that crowd of zipperheads last night, he’d have seemed genuinely Nukular by comparison.

Thom Hartmann mentioned something that I was not aware of. Apparently, during Bush’s first campaign, the official GOP web site updated the elephant logo and inverted the stars. They look an awful lot like “Satanic pentagrams” to me. I’m not convinced that it was a conscious attempt to praise Satan but I’m thinking it might make a good tool with which one might scare the poop out of superstitious fundies. Considering that Batscat Bachmann tried to prevent Minnesota schools from even studying different mythologies I would think she would have a severe reaction should anyone manage to point it out to her.

I just can’t bring myself to post the link but one can see for oneself at GOP.com. I don’t know, off hand, of a source for the old one.

I thought that I was hearing distant thunder but it might be Reichwhiners’ heads exploding.

Seriously though, there are some indications that most of us are growing up and abandoning the prejudices of our ignorant youth as individuals and as a society. I don’t much like what I see when I look back at my past homophobia. My feelings have evolved with the mellowing sometimes associated with getting older and just more exposure to diverse people. Of course, the hateful and angry people among us tend to be louder but the vast moderate majority seems to just get tired of the screeching.

pete…I have to chuckle at your remark about getting “more exposure to diverse people”.

I grew up outside of Portland, OR…not exactly your hotbed of racial/cultural/lifestyle diversity…it was just danged white. But as time went on, after college, working in the area in restaurant/bar…and then getting hired as a Flight Attendant, I’ve discovered a lot of diversity. Actually now, after flying for about 27 years, too MUCH diversity (and I only work domestic) 8-)

I think that part of the problem these days (a part but most certainly not all), people are in their little closed in circle and don’t have a grasp of the great, big, wide world, on which we live, for not really such a long period of time. Despite access to travel and cable and news, etc…they close themselves off.

There was one particular gal that I went to school with from kindergarten through 12th grade.

I NEVER really ever thought much about her…just that she was “Debbie”.

It was when my blabbermouth sister asked me, in mid college, what I thought of being in school with a black. I still to this day, remember feeling really stunned, because I never thought of her as black…just as “Debbie”.

I’ve always thought of myself as being pretty dense when it comes to race and lifestyle. What I can’t stand, is A FOOL…you can be any color, religion, lifestyle you want…but a FOOL is a FOOL no matter any of the before mentioned.

Trash is trash. Period.

Oh ya…and if anyone hasn’t figured it out…ya, I’m gay…along with being an American…back to working at my previous employer after 5 years off…paying taxes…taking care of Mom (90, who lives with us)…doing the books for our businesses as well…walking the dog…helping my neighbors…blah, blah, blah.

I remember riding the bus to school in first grade with a little girl who’s name I’ve long forgotten. We were fascinated by our different skin colors, so one day we decided to lick each other’s arms, since we were SO sure she would taste like chocolate and I would taste like vanilla. Man, were we disappointed! Then we went to play on the monkey bars.

I all over today. C&L put up a graph that got me thinking; why aren’t the richest people in this country kissing Obama’s ass for making them a butt-load of money after the Bush collapse? I’ll grant that he doesn’t tear his hair out when someone mentions changing tax rates but he sure hasn’t succeeded in making sweeping changes to the tax code. Investors, financiers, and corporations are doing quite well. I hate to think that bigotry and xenophobia is all that’s behind their hate of the President but it seems to be the logical conclusion. Nothing else fits the available facts.

Heh! Proving once more that birds aren’t stupid and cats are often overrated as predators. Although, I’ve had enough experience with gulls that I wouldn’t challenge one I didn’t outweigh by a large margin.

Obviously the bowl was too heavy at first, but once the load was lighter, taking the bowl was the polite thing to do.
Since the cat doesn’t object to the gull taking the food, based on my experience, the gull was doing the cat a favor by emptying the bowl, which means fresher food would soon be offered.

As I’ve pointed out before; the Reichwhiners in our courts are probably more dangerous than the ones in office. To put it mildly; when the final arbiters of justice are political creatures we have a very, very, big problem.

Absolutely.
A carefully laid plan during the Bush era was to remove judges from all higher courts if they were suspected that they might not vote the rethuglican way.
In addition, Bush appointed many judges across the country who would be sure to return the favor.
Forget about impartiality on the bench. It has ceased to exist.
I never realized that WI politics is as corrupt — but it appears they are.

During the 2008 campaign Scott Walker was taped trying to set up a caging scheme. A local radio host had on a Wisconsin political reporter and, even though I had no idea who Scott Walker was, what he said stuck with me. I’ll have to paraphrase…

“If there’s a political scandal in Wisconsin? Scott Walker is in the middle of it.”

It looks like the good voters of Wisconsin have given the reins of power to the worst among them and the stacked courts aren’t going to protect them. Let’s hope that recalls are sufficient because the next step would probably make the Reichwing lies about “riots” true. I’m a big believer in letting elections play out but that just might not be an option for much longer. But? Enough doom and gloom…

I’m still very pleased that Batscat Bachmann can’t legally run for Prez and Congress at the same time. I wish her just enough success on the campaign trail to prevent her return to Congress. A small victory but, for Minnesotans, a significant one.

I just saw that news item! What a disgusting turn of events in total defiance of the people of the state.
The recall of the GOP candidates is scheduled for August 9th -but that won’t affect the rethugs who inhabit the SC of WI.

The fires in AZ and NM have flushed at least two of these hooligans out of the bushes that I know of. They are safe behind bars now, getting their three squares, and no longer letting their campfires get out of hand…

Aw crap! It looks like Andy Schlafly’s insanity is contagious. Although, I suppose it’s possible that “Terry Hurlbut” is one of the imaginary friends that Andy creates to validate his insanity. Either way, it’s fun to laugh at these morons when the opportunity presents itself.

And by the way: the dinosaurs didn’t all die…
We’ve got a pod of them in Lake Champlain, Vermont, and the Canadians have them in Lake Okanagan, BC. There was a pod of them in Loch Ness, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re all dead by now, because that lake is so disgustingly polluted.

I really have to make the time to scan all my good photos and venture into this whole on line photo sharing thing. I think my favorites are a time lapse of a cicada emerging from it’s pupal stage. Dad held a mirror to give me natural sunlight for the closeup lenses and they go from the pupa showing a mere slit to the wings unfurled and dried. The very last one caught the first flap of wings before it took off.

On a related note: I’m afraid that the goose pictures are nothing special. I got a good one of Daddy Goose hissing at me but the goslings were so fuzzy that they came out blurry. Between the age of my eyes and the lack of sharp edges on the already fuzzy goslings I didn’t even get one that’s focused.

Speaking of thunder. My kitty, Tigger, used to be an outdoor cat and developed a fear of rain and thunder. The poor thing hides under the toilet tank, or on a shelf in my broom closet, at the first distant rumble or once she notices that it’s raining. She did venture out while I was cooking dinner but she was shaking like a leaf and soon retreated.

My clients, whom already feel ridiculed and different, left the city owned facility crying and embarrassed for trying to participate in ‘normal’ activities that everyday ‘normal’ people do,” she added.

My son found an “Extreme Teen Bible” next to the dumpster when he took the trash out for me the other night. He brought it up for me to look at. We quickly agreed that it should have landed IN the dumpster instead. And that’s where it is now.

I have an evangelical/fundie church/school on the next block, which is on the SPLC watch list, and I can’t stand what they’re doing to those innocent children in there. :evil:

I’ve never been able to decide whether it was the regular cast, the cameos, or both that made Laugh In work. I still don’t know why Arte Johnson and Henry Gibson didn’t have more stellar careers. The merest glimpse of either of them cracks me up to this day.

Some idiot from Focus on the Family (redundant, I know), says that Anthony Wiener should convert to Christianity if he wants to be cured.

“Dear Congressman Weiner: There is no effective ‘treatment’ for sin. Only atonement, found only in Jesus Christ.”

Another idiotic right-wing false premise. That’s like saying, “The only way to hit home runs is to play baseball.” It’s only a “sin” if your religion defines it as a “sin”. If it doesn’t, then you’re playing a different game altogether.